"Anything?" Lance asked for the hundredth time. Ko sighed, deep and heavy. "fine, I won't ask again."

Lance was at a loss as for how they were going to find the castle. It didn't seem that either lion was making its way back home.

"Hey, let's find a place to land," Pax called, "It would be nice to sleep on something that isn't moving."

Ko nodded and Lance had to agree.

They found a planet that was largely unpopulated. Lance built a fire as Paxix got the food ready.

"That's…a different outfit…"

Lance grinned, "I also kept a change of clothes in my lion. But my jacket is still in the Castle. I also found some weapons I forgot I'd stashed in there; so yeah, you wasted three coins on nothing."

Pax rolled his eyes. Ko happily walked around, gathering wood and making out bed rolls. Pax wished he could be so carefree.

"How did you know the Red lion was there?" Pax asked instead, "the map didn't show anything there."

"Hunk said in the video that their plan was crazy. I know Hunk. Hunk does NOT do crazy and my Hunk would NEVER be excited to relive it by telling me about it afterwards. He would've done the job and then locked himself in the kitchen while he forced himself to forget all the scary parts while making everyone food. Then he would've slept in my room and made me tell him a happy story. And, being the geniuses that both of them were, when they helped me get out, they didn't send me out the pod doors. They sent me out the Hanger doors, that being more dangerous. In the attempt that Red would come to my aid. But that never happened."

Pax listened, but nothing made sense. Or, he thought it made sense, but something wasn't fitting in with his knowledge of the universe and therefor nothing made sense.

()

The morning came and Lance was awoken by a very unwelcome shout. Grabbing for his weapon he stood only to find that during the night the lions had repositioned themselves over their camp. Looking around, Lance wasn't surprised to realize that it had been Paxix who had shouted.

"Something must've happened while we were asleep," Lance said, "we should've posted a watch. Anyway, the lions are only protecting you."

"But…but…"

This was going to take a long time, Lance thought, looking at Paxix as he struggled to understand how and why the lions had moved on their own.

Lance tried to think back, but he couldn't remember a time when he just didn't go with the flow. Then he thought maybe he should've questioned a lot more than he did, then perhaps he wouldn't be in this situation.

"Leave now?" Ko asked, totally unabashed by the sentient lions. Lance really liked Ko.

Ko was eager to fly again; to feel the speed and energy that surrounded him in the lion. He packed up quickly and practically ran to the red lion to get inside.

"I think i've created an adrenaline junky," Lance said and Paxix had to smile. The difference between their first meeting was now was night and day. And the human liked it that way.

But when Paxix sat in the cockpit, ready to go, the lion didn't move. The screen was up and everything seemed to be working just fine, but the lion didn't seem to want to move.

"Hey, Ko," Paxix brought up the vid com to see a confused Lance and a very disappointed Ko, "sooo, I take it you're not moving either?"

"The lions don't do anything for no reason," Lance said, "so why won't they leave….did they run out of power?"

He fell into muttering to himself and Paxix sighed as he slumped in his seat.

After a long while he said, "How about we walk around a little bit? I'm SO bored!"

Ko nodded, still very disappointed.

"I'll stay with the lions," Lance said, "You can go, and keep your com-units on you in case something happens."

There were times when Lance would act like a parent, and that, above all his other annoying habits, was what ticked Paxix off the most. To him, Lance didn't look any older than he did. Where did that guy get off telling him what to do?

()

Immediately they knew something was wrong with the life on this planet. Every few steps it seemed like the trees themselves were getting closer.

Until Ko realized that they actually WERE getting closer.

Paxix had never fought a tree before.

But they were better than he expected. He finally got to see Ko in action and was amazed at the speed and dexterity that was shown by someone who apparently had no previous experience.

Sometimes life just wasn't fair.

After they were able to push their way through a rather formidable tree line, they came across a wide expanse of hills.

"I see something," mumbled Ko, his eyes taking on a more blackish color as opposed to its normal brown.

"Really?" Paxix sighed, "When were you going to tell me you also have telescopic eyes?!"

"…I do not?"

"I can't see anything but grass. And if the grass is anything like the trees, then we're screwed and might as well turn back."

"Over there," Ko said pointing further down the tree line, not out across the hills. There was a half buried structure that could've been a building or a ship at one time.

"oh," Paxix shrugged, feeling a little foolish.

"Lance?" Ko asked pointing a claw behind him.

"I'm not fighting my way back just to tell him we found something," Paxix grumbled and pulled out his communicator, "That's what these are for."

()

Lance was cleaning up their camp sight, making it look like they hadn't been there. It was a silly precaution, but it helped to be doing something. The lions didn't seem to be too worried and so he wasn't too worried either.

It was a little past what he assumed to be noon, and he was about to make lunch for when the other two got back, but instead got a call.

"Yeah, we're looking at something weird, we're gonna check it out."

"Soooo, you don't want food?"

"We'll be back before dark."

"Sooo, that's a no."

"If you want to come look, we're not stopping you. There's just a ton of man-eating trees between you and were we are."

"Soooo-"

"So no, we don't want lunch!"

"fine, fine," Lance sighed, "I've never known a yellow paladin to refuse food."

()

Amnur held Libby's hand as they walked around the ship. They could hear Barka cursing at whatever else he was working on that day. So long as they listened to the Uncle ghost, they were allowed to walk around all they wanted.

Today they wanted to go outside.

So long as they stayed next to the ship Barka didn't mind. They had cleared a space of grass that allowed them to play in the dirt with sticks and rocks. Libby had bradded small vines together last time and has made a circle around their play area.

Amnur talked to himself, telling an elaborate story while Libby listened and played along, moving the rocks along as the story changed. He dug pits and built dirt mounds for the rocks to travel over.

He had just gotten to the part were the princess was building an army to fight the lava monster (represented by a mud ball) when they picked up on a strange noise from around the ship. Barka had told them that they weren't allowed near the trees.

"This thing is huge."

The voice was casual and from where they were sitting, it wasn't very loud. They crawled quietly to the end of the ship and peeked around the corner.

A large monster and another, shorter, stranger stood by the trees, looking at the ship.

"Think we'll find a way in?"

"Won't work," the monster shrugged, "very broken."

"Yeah, but we might find supplies," the shorter one said, reaching out to touch the ship, "the yellow lion still has a storage area I can store more scraps in. Maybe I can find material to make a better weapon!"

"Mmm," the monster nodded and looked around, his eyes settling on the two small faces around the end of the ship.

Libby screamed and grabbed Amnur, dragging him up and away at a run.

()

Paxix jumped at the sudden scream and spun around.

"What was that?"

"Children."

"What?"

"Chil-"

"I heard, I meant 'what' in a 'I'm shocked' kind of way."

They walked around the ship in time to see the two run into the ship through an angled opening.

"Do we follow?"

Paxix shrugged, "are they here alone?"

"Too dangerous."

"yeah, I think so too…let's go."

"Freeze!"

Again, Paxix jumped as he spun around, his hands flying upward as his face nearly came in contact with a long barreled gun. The person holding it was large and muscular with owl eyes and feathers stood straight up on the back of his neck. Paxix grabbed Ko's arm when he saw his friend start to tense for an attack.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Paxix, this is my friend, Ko…we're just looking around…"

"Look else ware," the alien took a step back, giving him a wider range of attack, "I've already claimed this ship."

"Clearly," Paxix swallowed hard, "we're going away-"

"Why?" Ko asked.

"Now's not the time for questions," Paxix sang, eyeing the gun and knowing he wasn't fast enough to reach his own weapon.

"Why?"

"Ko, we need-"

"We are not bad," Ko said, his brows furrowing and he looked up to face the alien with the gun, "we are not bad."

"I don't care," the larger man said, "I don't want you near MY ship!"

"Your ship?"

The alien turned and fired. Lance barely moved out of the way, the laser hitting the tree behind him. Lance tip toed back a few steps and stood staring his two companions.

"Really, you could've TOLD me you'd found the Castle of Lions!"

"The what?"

"Why is he yelling at us?"

"As for you," Lance said, hands on hips, "If its finder keepers, then the place is mine. I believe my stuff is still in there."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Lance, and if you've touched my stuff, you're dead."

"come near this ship and I will shoot," the alien warned, reestablishing his footing against three opponents instead of just the two.

"Except that we need that ship," Lance said. He had taken Paxix up on his offer of battling the man-eating trees, if only to see the look on the other boys face when he showed up. He didn't think that they had actually found something IMPORTANT! Now he had to figure out how to get the castle away from a homeless guy!

"We found it empty!"

Lance scowled. "we?"

More feathers bristled and the alien gripped his gun tighter. Lance read the guys body language since his face didn't move that much, even when he spoke.

"Look," Lance said slowly, "have you ever heard of Voltron?"

The aliens owl eyes narrowed, "where have you heard that name?"

"I used to be a paladin of Voltron," Lance said, still slowly, making sure his point got across clearly, "these two are the current paladins of the yellow and red lions. That ship is also the Castle of Loins. Its big enough, so I really don't think we need to kick you out, but as the Paladins, we really, really, REALLY need that castle."

"You're a liar."

"Nooooo," Lance sighed, "I'm not. See my face? I'm part Altean, which means I can get that ship to work."

"….I've seen that marking before…" the alien said, but his grip didn't lessen on the weapon, "but that doesn't mean I can trust you."

"Very true," Lance nodded, "but, how about I tell you what the inside of this ship looks like?"

And he described it. He even talked about a scorch mark on a wall that he said was the result of a lab experiment that went wrong.

"-granted it wouldn't've gone wrong if I hadn't ran into the room just as they were mixing the chemicals, BUT, there were a lot of colors afterwards."

"That still doesn't-"

"There are seven rooms that are already filled," Lance said, "one of them is mine, one is full of junk, one is full of scraps and wires, one is full of plushies, two are clean, but have bags along the walls and the beds are unmade, and one has a bed that's large and circular. THE POINT is, I really want my jacket back!"

"Are you serious?!" Paxix snapped. All this for a jacket?!

"Well, and we need the castle for the other lions and to fight back against Lotor, but I really, really, really want my jacket back."

"What-"

"You're not very good at this."

"Hey-"

"I'm being honest," Lance protested, "this guy isn't going to respond unless I'm 100% honest-"

The alien shot three lasers into the ground, "SILENCE! What do you mean, Fight back against the emperor?!"

Ko made a small sound and started to step back, but Lance, hands still on hips replied, "I don't think I stuttered. I mean, that's what Voltron is. Voltrons duty is to protect the universe and the innocent. Lotor is a giant jerk and he needs to be taken down."

"Lance, I don't think-"

"So you are going to eliminate all the Galra?"

"Not if they join us," Lance said, "back in my day there were a number of Galra that fought with us. They were our friends and good people. The Galra are not inherently bad, but Lotor is a twisted prick and I owe him a good punch to the face, and that's just to start with."

Paxix looked from the alien to Lance. For all they knew this guy was an agent of the empire. The longer the silence continued the more sure Paxix became that this was not going to turn out in their favor.

"You truly used to be Voltron?"

Lance nodded, "Yup."

The alien slowly lowered his gun, "I have only heard whispered stories. And the emperor has banned all mention of Voltron…"

"What a pansy," Lance scoffed.

The alien narrowed its eyes again, "you speak much too freely for one familiar with the power of the emperor."

"Maybe because I've already punched him in the face before," Lance said, "I know the little prick personally. So his death is going to be very sweet."

The dark look came back into his face as he thought back to the last time he'd seen Lotor. The last time he'd seen his team alive.

"My name is Barka," the alien said, "I am a Protector."

Paxix scowled, "a slave?"

Barka glared at him, "a Protector. I honor my orders and will obey them."

"but if you're following the orders of the Galra, shouldn't we be the ones suspicious of you?"

"Or," Lance cut in, "we can ask him what those orders are?"

Paxix shook his head, "a high ranked slave is more likely to turn us in than-"

"My only orders were to protect the children," Barka said, "I have no other orders."

"The two?" Ko asked pointing to the opening in the ship. Barka nodded.

"They are my masters children. She hid them from the emperor, but when the emperor found out about them, she sent them with me. I am to make sure they survive no matter what."

"Galra babies?" Lance perked up and looked over at Paxix and Ko, "I've never seen one!"

"And you never will," Barka replied, "if the emperor get's his hands on them. He takes all the children and teaches them without parents. He teaches them that he is their only parent and their lives are his. That if those that birthed them were to turn against him that they are to turn against their own blood."

Lance looked from one face to the other. Paxix and Ko didn't look too shocked about this.

"That's disgusting," Lance shook his head, "well, you can count on us to help you out, then. Lotor is not getting his hands on those kids."

Barka looked this stranger up and down. He looked frail and all three of them were filthy. He doubted they could put up much of a fight against the foot soldiers, much less against the emperors personal guard.

"Can we come in now?" Lance asked, "I wasn't kidding about my jacket."